We recently caught up with recent graduate Zara to reflect on her journey from walking up the ramp to the 4YO Ross Group room to graduating Year 12 with an outstanding ATAR of 95.95. From early memories of shared fruit bowls to meeting a diverse community of students from different schools and around the world, Zara reflects on the experiences, friendships and opportunities that shaped her time at MGGS. We’ve included the full transcript below so you can hear directly from her in her own words.

1. What’s your earliest memory at MGGS?

A bit of a niche, but my earliest memory at MGGS would have to be walking up the ramp, with my grandma, to the 4YO Ross Group room. On this day, she had brought pears with her to add to the communal fruit bowl- each student brought a piece of fruit that the teachers would cut up and share during the day!

Other memories include playing in the sandpit and in the playground equipment with people who I still call my friends.

2. When you think back across your whole time at the School, from ELC through to Year 12, is there a moment that stands out as a turning point?

The first day of Year 5 was extra memorable because I met a bunch of new people from different schools and even parts of the world!

As an introverted Year 5, this was definitely intimidating at first but now, looking back, combining the Morris Hall cohort which I knew so well with a group of completely new people, allowed me to build new connections, whether this was in Year 5 itself or later down the track.

3. Was there a particular teacher (or teachers) who had a lasting impact on you? What did they do that made the difference?

I think all my teachers across my schooling experience at MGGS had different and unique impacts. The impact of my Morris Hall and Wildfell teachers is, however, particularly unique because my connection to the experiences they provided (school camps, fun class-room activities, the class-room environment, social service days, and many others!) is something only a few people, at the end of Year 12, could relate to.

Seeing some of my Morris Hall and Wildfell teachers (Ms Carras-Kerr, Ms Birch, Ms Sun, Ms Lew, Ms Cate) towards the end of my

 schooling experience (whether this be on campus or when I used to help coach Athletics over at Morris Hall), truly reminded me of the impact that they had on my time at MGGS.

4. Looking back, what’s the biggest impact MGGS had on who you are today, not just academically, but as a person?

MGGS taught me the importance of getting involved in co-curricular activities and different domains (mostly encouraged through the diverse range of House events across the year, all the sports on offer, the drama productions they run annually and the plethora of different music bands on offer).

Whether this be sport or music, these allowed me to escape the stresses and pressures of academic pursuit, giving me more of an

 open mind. I have carried this outlook into university as I am now keen to step out of my comfort zone to try different clubs and sports.

5. What was your approach to Year 12? Is there anything you did differently that you think made a real difference?

At the start of Year 12, my sole goal was to have a well-rounded (being involved in Sport and Music, despite the increased academic pressures) and a fun experience (the ability to have fun and spend time with family and friends outside of school), knowing that Year 12 would be my last opportunity to immerse myself in the school culture.

This mindset relieved some of the academic pressures that come with Year 12 in general and although there were many different pressure points across the year, keeping my goal in mind kept me going.

6. What would you say to a parent who’s considering enrolling their daughter in ELC at MGGS right now?

The sense of continuity (being familiar with the spaces, teachers, environment) gave me a lot of comfort during my final years at MGGS.

This sense of familiarity came in the form of long-standing friendships (people I have known since ELC) and being able to connect my past experiences at ELC and Wildfell with a lot of things I did in Year 12 (I did and loved Athletics all throughout my time at MGGS).

7. What’s something about the School that people might not know or appreciate from the outside?

There is a domain for everyone- whether its sports, music, drama, or anything else. And if not, there is always an opportunity to implement something new that suits yours and others’ interests.

8. What are you doing now (or what are your plans), and how do you feel MGGS prepared you for it?

I am currently studying Science at the University of Melbourne and really enjoying it! Although I am still getting the hang of university, the level of engagement, work ethic and self-discipline required is akin to what is expected to MGGS- that you take responsibility for your own learning and behaviour.

For example, I am taking Biology as a subject in University this year, and the practical work and general science skills that I was exposed to in Science from Years 5-10, Biology 3/4 and Chemistry 3/4 has been really helpful.

If you’d like to explore our offering and see what students like Zara experienced first-hand, book a tour with our admissions team via our Book a Tour Form